Triton XIX, Lot: 2590. Estimate $750. Sold for $1400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

MALAY ARCHIPELAGO, Colonial. Nederlands-Oost-Indië (Netherlands East Indies). Wilhelmina. 1890-1948. Proof AV ‘¼ Cent’ (19mm, 3.94 g, 12h). Utrecht mint, presumably from dies engraved in Philadelphia. Dated 1945 (though struck shortly after). Crowned coat-of-arms / Legend in Malay. Scholten –; KM Pn33; Friedberg –. In NGC encapsulation graded PF 65. Very rare. Off-metal strike in gold.

From the collection of Dr. Lawrence A. Adams. Ex Zurich Collection (Stack’s, 24 October 1985), lot 1465.

While the Germans occupied the Netherlands during World War Two, the United States mints produced coinage for the free Dutch territories, including for the East Indies. Silver issues were struck at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco bearing a palm tree or acorn, as well as the P, D, and S mintmarks, respectively. However, a small number of rare off-metal strikes are known in gold, such as this and the following lot, bearing dates of the American-produced coinage, but lacking the correct mintmarks. One must note that the American mints were tightly controlled and would not have produced such collectors pieces, especially in gold, whereas the Dutch mint frequently struck them. Accordingly, it seems that these issues were struck in Utrecht some time after the Netherlands were liberated and the unused dies returned to the Dutch.